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JAINA EPIGRAPHS : PART II
369 rulers), Jayadhira (firm in victory), Bhuvanaikaräma (the one Rāma of this earth), Abhimana-dhavala (unblemished in pride ), Rattara-Mēru (the Golden Mountain of the Ratta house), Rāja-Bhūrīśrava ( Bhūriśrava among the rulers of wide reputation), Vidvishța-Nārāyaņu (god Nārāyaṇa to the hostiles), Satyārņava (ocean of truth) and Dharma-ratnākara (mine of jewels in religion). These titles testify to the dignified position held by Sankaragaņda II in the kingdom and also distinguish him as a great personality endowed with excellent character and religious faith.'
Now an attempt may be made here to see if any further information could be gathered in regard to this Sankaraganda from the epigraphical or literary sources, which would help us to understand his personality better. Fortunately, three inscriptions which might be assigned approximately to the period of the present epigraph, speak of a subordinate chief named Sankaraganda who was governing the province of Banavāsi. One of these is a herostone from Tālagund in the Shimoga District.This belongs to the reign of Akālavarsha Kandhara Ballaha who may be identified with Krishna III of the Rashtrakūta line of Malkhôd. Another is from Kyāsanār in the Dharwar Dt. This record mentions Kandara Vallabha as the reigning king who is to be identified as before with the Rashtrakūta king Krishņa III. In this inscription Sankaraganda is addressed as Mahāsāmantādhipati. The third inscription again comes from the above place and is associated with the reign of Krishna III's successor Nityavarsha Khottiga. It may be observed from the above details that it is one and the same Sankaraganda who figures as the governor of the Banavāsi province in these three epigraphs. Thus we are justified in identifying Mahāsāmantādhipati Sankaraganda of our epigraph with his namesake of the above three epigraphs, as the latter also bore the distinctive title Mahāsāmantādhipati as disclosed by one of the inscriptions from Kyāsanār.
Three more inscriptions discovered recently in the area of the Hāngal taluk, Dharwar Dt. throw welcome light on the career and activities of Sankaraganda. One from Lakshmipur is found to be the earliest of them. It refers itself to the reign of the Rāshtrakūta king Indra III and informs that the tract of Banavasi Twelve Thousand was partitioned into two and
1 In regard to the title Rattara Mēru occurring in the above pra'sasti it may noted that it is met with in an inscription of the 11th century A. D. froin Saundatti in the Belgaum Dt. It was borne by Dayima an early member of the Ratta family that ruled at Saundaiti:
J. B, B, R. A. S., Vol. X, p. 214. 2 Ep. Carn., Vol. VII, Sk. 183. 3 Ep. Ind., Vol. XVI, p. 283. 4 Ibid, p. 284. 5 An. Rep. on Indian Epigraphy, 1947-48, Appendix, B, No. 203,
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